The Commerce Department’s David
Kappos, Under Secretary for Intellectual Property and Director of the United
States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), stressed intellectual property’s
vital role in the innovation economy and its importance to increasing
America’s global
competitiveness today at a Patents, Innovation and Job Creation conference at
the Newseum in Washington,
D.C.

Patent-related industries make up
the most dynamic parts of our economy, he said, and as a share of gross economic
value, the United
States invests more in intangible assets than
any of its major trading partners.

As our country seeks to regain the
jobs lost during the recession, inventions that could spark new businesses and
jobs are waiting in the USPTO’s backlog. The Harvard Business Review recently
described the USPTO as “the biggest job creator you never heard of.” Reducing
the time it takes to examine those applications is one of the highest priorities
for Director Kappos and Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke.

Kappos and the USPTO have launched
several initiatives to shorten patent pendency and improve patent quality, and
the agency will soon outline yet another plan that would give applicants the
option to accelerate examination of a patent application. In his remarks today,
Kappos also applauded the efforts of Congress to continue pushing for bipartisan
legislation that would help the USPTO improve the patent system, expressing the
agency’s strong support for patent reform. | Director's remarks

Commerce's United States
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) this week launched a beta version of the
“USPTO
Data Visualization Center.” This tool will give the public
access to important data covering USPTO patent operations in a convenient
dashboard format. The patents dashboard provides more refined pendency
information than was previously available, as well as other critical indicators
such as the number of applications in the backlog, production, staffing and
more.

This information will
help the entire intellectual property (IP) community to better understand the
USPTO’s processes, and enable applicants to make more informed decisions about
their applications, especially as the USPTO develops more opportunities for
applicants to control the timing at which their applications are examined. The
new dashboard, which will be updated monthly, will also be used internally by
the USPTO to analyze and improve its examination process and to track the
effectiveness of its improvement efforts. The USPTO also plans to add relevant
data to track progress in other areas such as Trademarks and worksharing with
global IP offices.

The USPTO is pleased
to offer this new tool which provides a window into USPTO operations that has
not been available to the public before. To learn more about what the USPTO
will be measuring and tracking visit the dashboard at www.uspto.gov/dashboards. And to
read USPTO Director Kappos’ blog about the dashboard, visit www.uspto.gov/blog. Data Visulization Center

Locke emphasizes protection of creativity and innovation as vital to jobs and the economy

U.S.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke met with artists and representatives from
the music industry today to discuss the administration’s commitment to
global enforcement of laws against intellectual property piracy. Locke
was joined by Congressman Jim Cooper and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean for
a tour of “Music Row.” After the tour, Governor Phil Bredesen joined
the group for a discussion with musicians, including Big Kenny from Big
& Rich, songwriters, students and other industry representatives at
Belmont University.

“This administration is committed to tackling the challenges facing the music
industry, because it is a fundamental issue of economic security and
jobs,” Locke said. “We are continually looking for new ways to protect
the creativity that is the lifeblood of Nashville and America’s
economy.”

As
“America’s Music City,” Nashville is an important hub in the U.S. music
industry and has been impacted by the recent rise in online
intellectual property piracy. With the advent of the Internet and
file-sharing technologies, consumers are spending less on recorded
music in all formats, and total revenues for recorded music in the U.S.
have dropped from a high of $14.6 billion in 1999 to $7.7 billion in
2008. This has affected the local economy, which supports thousands of
jobs and a $4 billion industry annually. | More | Remarks | More photos

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke
joined Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials today at the
White House to introduce the U.S. Government’s intellectual property enforcement
strategy. Participants included U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Trade Representative
Ambassador Ron Kirk and U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator
Victoria Espinel. In her White
House Blog, Espinel wrote,

“I am pleased to announce that today
we unveiled the administration’s first Joint Strategic Plan to combat
intellectual property theft. The U.S. economy leads the world in
innovation and creativity thanks to American inventors, artists and workers.
Our ability to develop new technology, designs and artistic works supports jobs
and allows us to export great new products and services around the world. Our
citizens need to feel confident that they can invest in new innovation and
intellectual property, knowing it will be safe from theft. Ensuring that our
ideas and ingenuity are protected helps us create jobs and increase our
exports.”

Intellectual property refers to the
ideas behind inventions, the artistry that goes into books and music, and the
logos of companies whose brands we have come to trust that must be protected.
Intellectual property represents the hard work, creativity, resourcefulness,
investment and ingenuity of the American public. White House
Intellectual Property WebsiteWhite House video

Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) today agreed to develop an action plan for reducing patent processing backlogs in both offices. Patent backlogs hinder the deployment of innovation and have clear adverse effects on the global economy. According to a study by London Economics released on behalf of the UKIPO, the first study that attempts to quantify the economic impact of patent backlogs, the cost to the global economy of the delay in processing patent applications may be as much as £7.65 ($11.4) billion each year. (More)

Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke hosted a roundtable discussion on enforcing laws against intellectual property piracy. They were joined by Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FBI Director Robert Mueller, USSS Director Mark Sullivan, as well as CEOs from major media conglomerates, union representatives, legal experts and other government officials. The White House meeting is the first of its kind and brought together stakeholders to discuss ways to combat intellectual property piracy in this rapidly-changing technological age.

In advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, next week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu will announce new initiatives by their respective agencies to accelerate innovation in green technology, increase America’s competitiveness in this sector, and create jobs. At the Dec. 7 news conference, they will be joined by Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke stressed the importance of protecting intellectual property today at the Pearl River Delta International Forum on Innovation and Intellectual Property. At the forum, Locke spoke to government officials and business leaders and acknowledged that while China has made some progress protecting the intellectual property of foreign companies operating within its borders, more must be done. Later, at Jinan University, Locke joined a conversation with students about the significance of intellectual property rights for the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. (IPR Forum remarks) (Jinan University remarks)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will travel to Guangzhou and Hangzhou, China, October 26-30, to co-chair the 20th session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and to stress the importance of strong intellectual property rights protection and enforcement around the world. The JCCT, established in 1983, is the main forum for addressing bilateral trade matters and promoting commercial opportunities between the United States and China. Secretary Locke will co-chair the annual high-level JCCT meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in Hangzhou on October 28-29. (More) (Oct. 21 release) (Fact Sheet)

Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) David Kappos was joined by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to award design patent number 600,000 to Goal Zero, a subsidiary of Provo Craft and Novelty, and a small business located in Spanish Fork, Utah. The patent was granted for the design of a battery system which works in conjunction with a solar briefcase that recharges the system using sunlight. This patent exemplifies the blending of green technology and appealing design. Shown here between Kappos and Hatch is Robert Walkman, President and CEO of Goal Zero. (More)